


Time to Reflect and Recharge

by unlmtdsky



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Biotic Shepard (Mass Effect), F/M, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Light Angst, Mass Effect 3: Citadel, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25172692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unlmtdsky/pseuds/unlmtdsky
Summary: On the heels of a devastating defeat on Thessia, Jane Shepard and the Normandy crew are ordered to mandatory shore leave on the Citadel. Things don't go exactly as planned.A generally canon-compliant retelling of the Citadel DLC, with slight deviations made for humor and drama.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This story lovingly borrows characters, situations, lore, settings, etc from the world and creators of Mass Effect. I do not own these characters or the world they inhabit. This work is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Peering at her reflection in the mirror, Jane couldn’t decide whether she recognized herself or not. It’s not that her face was literally unfamiliar—she thought she might be looking a little older these days, but she had the same sharp features, verdant eyes, and wine-red regulation-compliant bob as always. But something about her reflection was... off. 

She had never fully grown accustomed to the lack of a scar splitting her eyebrow in two. It had once been a constant reminder of the price she paid for her victory at Elysium that was as precious to her as any medal until Cerberus had healed it without her knowledge or permission last year. Her carefully sculpted, unmarred brows furrowed as she examined her reflection. She had tried to hide the dark circles under her eyes with makeup, but it was impossible to fully conceal the weary exhaustion writ on her face. Jane had never been one to be terribly preoccupied with her appearance, but she had walked the fine line between being a woman and being a tough Alliance marine and commander long enough that she wasn’t above a little makeup now and again. She finally decided that it was the recent defeat she had suffered that was casting an unfamiliar pall over her face—no amount of Cerberus skin weave or makeup could hide the deep sense of loss and shame she was still feeling over what had happened on Thessia.

Jane sighed. She didn’t really want to be here on the Citadel—and while she was grateful to Anderson for letting her use (have?) this stunning apartment in Tiberius Towers, all she really wanted right now was to be pursuing Kai Leng and Cerberus and chasing down her next victory. Anything to push aside the lingering sting of her last mission’s failure. Taking some time out for a little R&R just didn’t suit her mood. Cerberus and the Reapers weren't going to take a break, so why should she? But she suspected Hackett had likely ordered the Normandy to drydock as much for the ship’s need for a little TLC as for her own. Jane Shepard had never been very good at taking care of herself and Hackett knew it, knew _her_ well enough to know she would never have taken this shore leave on her own, no matter how much she knew she probably needed it.

A quiet alarm pinged on Jane’s omni-tool, reminding her that she needed to leave soon if she didn’t want to be late to dinner. A few hours ago, Joker had sent her a message asking to meet for sushi over on the Silversun Strip. She had chuckled to herself when she read the invitation—he probably hated this forced shore leave just as much as she did. As much as she knew it wasn’t one, it felt like a punishment, and she figured Joker probably felt the same way. The least she could do was meet him for dinner so they could try and distract each other for an evening.

Jane pulled away from the mirror, lightly skimming her hands down her sides to straighten her dress over her slender but athletic frame. She wasn’t really sure why she had decided to get dressed up, and she honestly felt a bit silly wearing something so vastly different from her typical uniform. The only time in recent memory that she’d worn a dress was when she had gone undercover as Alison Gunn to help Kasumi recover Keiji’s graybox last year, but Jane wasn’t a woman to do anything by half measures, so once she had decided tonight was meant to be a distraction, she figured she may as well commit and dress the part.

Before leaving the apartment, Jane decided to send Kaidan a quick message letting him know her plans for the evening. As soon as they had docked on the Citadel that afternoon, he had been summoned by the Council on Spectre business. She had forced herself to tamp down the small twinge of jealousy she felt at being left out of the Council's summons, but she certainly wasn't going to begrudge Kaidan his well-deserved success. And truth be told, she wasn't sure she was ready to face Councilor Tevos again so soon anyway. Now she just wished his work had wrapped up in time to join her and Joker for dinner. If Jane was going to have to endure a few days of shore leave, she figured she may as well try to spend as much of it with Kaidan as possible.  
  


_ComShep: Hey K, you’re on your own for dinner. I’m meeting up with Joker for sushi._

_MajAlen: Ooh, is it that great sushi place on the Strip? I hear it’s fantastic. Wish I could join you._

_ComShep: Uh yeah, I think so? See you back at the apt when I get home._

_MajAlen: Okay Shepard. Be safe_

_ComShep: When am I not?_

_MajAlen: … Do you really want me to answer that?_

_ComShep: No. Love you_

_MajAlen: Thought so. Love you too_  
  


Jane rolled her eyes at Kaidan’s overprotectiveness, but she was smiling as she left the apartment, her soul feeling a bit lighter than it had a few minutes before.

Anderson had told Shepard that she could use his skycar whenever she was on the Citadel, so Jane found the elevator and made her way to the garage. Her driving skills were a little rusty given that for the past three and a half years she hadn’t driven anything but a Mako or lived anywhere but the Normandy. Except for those six months she had spent in Alliance custody in Vancouver, of course… but she didn’t like to think about that time, and it’s not like she had been driving around in skycars while under house arrest anyway.

Navigating the red luxury skycar through the glitz and glamour of the Silversun Strip was a thrill. Jane couldn’t remember the last time she had gone out in a place like this. Back before her N7 days, certainly. The bright lights of the advertisements glittered around her as she carefully maneuvered the car down into a parking spot alongside the Strip.

Before exiting the car, Jane glanced down at her outfit one last time, starting to second-guess her choice of attire now that she was actually here. She had decided to forgo her usual Alliance crew uniform in favor of the one dress she had on hand. It was Alliance-issue (and like everything she owned, adorned with her N7 insignia), to be worn at whatever random schmoozing events navy higher-ups might have had to attend occasionally back on Earth. But because Jane had spent most of her time as an officer off-planet, she had yet to have an opportunity to wear it. She thought she looked good in the dress, but she still felt awkward in it.

Jane was used to moving around in armor, so she knew her stance was slightly wider than was natural for a dress. And she was used to carrying weapons, so her arms just hung awkwardly at her sides whenever she was without them. Not to mention that the dress’s low-cut neckline and knee-length hem left her feeling… exposed? Normally she wore a full set of armor or at least her crew uniform, which showed little more than her bare forearms. Jane could handle being the center of attention on the Normandy where she confidently asserted her authority without hesitation or doubt. But here on the Strip, attention was the last thing she wanted. She had long-since become a famous (or infamous, depending on who one asked) figure in the galaxy, and she worried about drawing too much attention to herself anytime she was out in public. Nevertheless, Joker was likely already waiting for her at the restaurant, so Jane heaved a sigh and then stepped out onto the Strip.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing that happened when Jane exited the skycar was that she tripped. _These goddamn heels_ , she cursed inwardly as she steadied herself, hoping no one had glimpsed her near tumble. She knew she probably looked as graceful as a turian on roller skates. That’s just what Jane needed: an evening news vid featuring the illustrious Commander Shepard faceplanting as she climbed out of a luxury skycar on the Silversun Strip. She smiled graciously in case anyone did happen to be watching and then gave herself a silent pep talk before stepping away from the car. _Come on, you’ve got this, Jane_.

Ryuusei Sushi was apparently one of the most popular places on the Citadel, and the long line out front seemed to confirm that fact. Jane wasn’t sure how Joker had managed to get them a reservation here—probably by dropping her name, she mused. Whatever he had done, it was clear she was expected.

As she approached the back of the line leading down a set of stairs to the restaurant’s entrance, she noticed the mustachioed host gesturing frantically in her direction. Jane couldn't help glancing over her shoulder, but when she didn't see anyone more famous than she was standing right behind her, she decided he was probably waving at her. Cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment, she held up a hand to indicate she had seen him, not wanting him to draw any more attention to her presence. Thankfully, his frantic waving ceased.

Jane moved away from the line and began to make her way down the empty set of steps alongside the cordoned off queue of patrons. As she descended past waiting couples and small parties of friends, she caught the movement of heads turning in her direction and the sound of whispers as she was no doubt recognized by some, who then quickly filled in their more clueless companions. _Now_ this _would be a perfect time to trip in these heels_ , she thought, likely looking a bit ungainly as she tried to descend the stairs as gracefully yet as quickly as possible without tripping.

The host met her at the bottom step and began to lead her into the restaurant. “Ah, Commander Shepard!” he greeted her effusively. Jane noted that the man had a distinctly French accent that made him sound perfectly snooty. “Your table is ready.”

As the man turned, he gestured towards the far corner of the restaurant where Joker was already seated at a table for two. Jane awkwardly raised a hand in greeting, and Joker, grinning gleefully, waved his arm to catch her attention, pointing at the table even though she had obviously already seen him and it. Jane inwardly rolled her eyes, somewhat mortified by his overly-enthusiastic display, then thanked the host before stepping into the restaurant proper.

Jane had never been to this restaurant before. She had heard of Ryuusei Sushi, of course, but she had never been here or even seen pictures of it. But now that she was standing inside— _wow_. The descriptions she had heard didn’t do the place justice. The entire restaurant’s floor was a massive fish tank. Beneath her high-heeled feet—she was still regretting this questionable piece of her wardrobe choice for the evening—colorful koi and carp swam through electric blue water. The light emanating from the tank cast a cool, watery glow over the entire place. The effect was mesmerizing. It reminded her a bit of the fishtank in her own quarters aboard the Normandy.

Tentatively, Jane stepped onto the glass floor and began to cross the restaurant towards Joker’s table. Jane spent the majority of her time these days separated from the dark void of space by nothing more than the few inches comprising the Normandy's composite outer hull, but for some reason walking on this glass fishtank floor unnerved her. She avoided making eye contact with the restaurant’s other patrons, and for the most part, she thought she went largely unnoticed as the occupants of each table were preoccupied with their own conversations and meals. She passed by the bar, deciding to wait and see whether Joker was choosing to drink before she ordered something for herself, and when Jane approached her pilot, it was with a small wave and a somewhat authentic smile plastered on her face.

“Hey, Joker.”

“Hey, Shepard,” Joker replied. “Not bad, huh?” He gestured vaguely around them.

She slid out the only other chair at the small table and joined Joker, who hadn’t stood up when she’d arrived—not that she expected him to. Jane was not someone who required pampering or being waited on hand and foot. Kaidan almost certainly would have stood and pulled out her chair for her in a full-on gentlemanly display—and Jane would have graciously allowed it because _Kaidan_. But Jane knew better than to be offended by her pilot’s lack of chivalry; she knew Joker’s condition made it painful for him to rise and move quickly.

“This sushi place is serious,” he was saying as she settled into her seat, “like, French-guy-at-the-door serious. Only had to save the galaxy twice to get a table here,” he joked.

For a moment, Jane wasn’t sure whether Joker was referring to her or himself, and again she wondered whether he’d dropped her name in order to get such a last minute reservation. She supposed he _had_ been one of the few loyal companions with her on both of her galaxy-saving missions thus far, so Jane decided to let him have this one and allowed the comment slide unchallenged. And anyway, what even was the point of saving the galaxy if you didn’t use it to score some excellent sushi once in a while? She smiled at herself as that very Joker-like thought crossed her mind.

“Did you see the line outside?” he asked, nodding towards the entrance then taking a long drink from a cocktail he had ordered before she’d arrived. Jane glanced over towards the door only to see a young woman in what looked like Alliance dress blues waving frantically in what appeared to be her general direction. The French-guy-at-the-door was doing his best to keep the woman at bay, though she nearly slipped past him more than once before he could get her back in line. _She couldn’t be trying to get my attention, could she?_ Jane thought briefly before dismissing it.

Admiral Hackett knew that the entire crew of the Normandy was on shore leave while the ship received maintenance and upgrades. Hell, it was Hackett himself who had essentially ordered Jane to take this leave the last time they had spoken. If anyone in the Alliance needed to get ahold of Commander Shepard, they would have been notified that she was on shore leave and sent her a message via Alliance communications, and she hadn’t received any notifications on her omni-tool since she and Kaidan had messaged earlier.

Jane turned her attention back to Joker just as he termed himself the “best pilot in the universe and a rockstar” and downed the remainder of his drink. 

She laughed appreciatively at his enthusiasm then asked, “Any news from the Normandy?” Jane still wasn’t entirely sure as to the specific reason Joker had asked to meet her for dinner, so until they worked their way around to the topic, she figured she’d ask Joker about the one thing she knew he would always be willing to talk about: the Normandy. Just because they were trying to distract each other from their forced separation from the Normandy didn’t mean they couldn’t talk about the Normandy. Right?

“Ah, you know: ‘maintenance stuff,’” he replied, his sarcastic tone failing to disguise his suspicion towards the Alliance techs and what they thought they needed to do to the ship. “It’s hard knowing a bunch of strangers are poking around in my ship.” His eyes darted to Jane before he quickly added, “I—I mean, your ship.”

Jane was apparently less skeptical of the Alliance’s motives than Joker was, and she knew his amusing mix-up of possessives to describe the Normandy simply reflected how dedicated he was to the ship and its crew. The Normandy really was as much his ship as it was hers. “The best thing we can do right now is park her and let the techs do their work,” she assured him.

Joker sighed heavily. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe an oil change, a space tire rotation—”

“Right…” Jane said, cutting him off. “Trust me. It’ll do her some good.” Somewhere in the back of her mind, Jane knew that a similar logic must also apply to herself. She was still itching to take some sort of action against Cerberus, but the more she tried to convince Joker that the Normandy needed a bit of a break, the more she had to admit to herself that she probably needed a bit of a break, too. _Just take a little time to reflect and recharge. It'll do you some good_ , she told herself.

“Oh, I trust _you_ ,” Joker said, looking Jane in the eye with all seriousness. Then he laughed, “I’m just not sure about those shifty aerospace engineers. Always stealing the silverware,” he joked.

“Let someone else do the work for once, Joker,” Jane said. “Hackett’s orders. We’re on shore leave,” and with that, she raised her hand in an attempt to get the attention of a waiter. She was ready for a drink.

“Yeah, whether we like it or not,” Joker groused.

“I’m sure you’ll manage,” she assured him. Jane eyed her faithful pilot. She did worry about him sometimes. She had never been on the Normandy without him as her pilot, so she knew he worked just as much as she did, even with EDI now there to help him. Truth be told, she didn’t think she’d ever walked into the cockpit and not found him there. She was pretty sure he didn’t _sleep_ in the cockpit, although… 

“I may need a drink that comes with an umbrella,” Joker said, interrupting her thoughts as he set down his empty glass.

That was something Jane could arrange. “I’m the first human Spectre,” she said with a bit of swagger in her voice. “I’ll get you _two_ umbrellas.”

Joker’s face broke into one of his typical grins. “Awesome use of power, boss,” he said approvingly.

Just then, a waiter approached and took their drink orders. Joker ordered something that came with an umbrella—well, _two_ umbrellas—and Jane ordered a glass of TM88 Peruvian Whiskey. She had developed a taste for it ever since she started spending more time with Kaidan; it was his favorite, second only to a crisp Canadian lager, of course. After the waiter left, Jane put her elbows on the table and leaned forward, prepared to finally ask Joker what this dinner was all about.

“So,” he said, before she could begin, “your email said it was important?”

Jane furrowed her brow, then leaned back in her chair. “ _My_ email? I’m here because I got a message from _you_.” She lifted the glass of water sitting in front of her and took a sip while she waited for the server to return with their real drinks.

“What the hell?” he said, looking suddenly serious. “I didn’t send anything.”

Jane swallowed her sip of water and set her glass back down, then turned to study Joker. She wouldn’t put it past him to play a prank or two, but this didn’t seem quite like his style. His poker face sucked, and the look of confusion on his face seemed genuine enough.

“Commander! Commander, this is urgent!”

Jane and Joker both looked up in surprise as someone shouted at them from across the restaurant. It was the young woman wearing an Alliance uniform Jane had seen trying to gain entry to the restaurant a few minutes ago. It seemed the host had ultimately failed at keeping her out. The woman clumsily hurried her way through the crowded restaurant, nearly tripping on a chair leg and then colliding with a patron, causing her to drop her datapad. They just watched silently as she neared their table, then glanced at each other in amused bafflement. Jane shrugged her shoulders at Joker’s silent question.

“Well, I don’t think that’s the umbrella lady,” muttered Joker. Jane nudged Joker sharply (though not _too_ sharply) with her elbow, trying to get him to be quiet as the woman approached.

When the woman finally reached their table, she was slightly out of breath. “Commander Shepard?” she asked, though she obviously already knew exactly who she was talking to since she was the one who had found them. And precisely _how_ had she found them? Jane remained quiet, her patience waning slightly as she waited for the woman to explain what the hell she was doing here.

“I’m Staff Analyst Maya Brooks,” she began, looking rather uncomfortable when no one had answered her. “Alliance—excuse me,” she cut herself off and raised her hand to her temple in a formal salute. “A—Alliance Intelligence.” Jane thought Brooks seemed oddly nervous given that they were just speaking casually in the middle of a sushi restaurant, so she didn’t return the salute, simply nodding at the woman to continue.

Brooks lowered her salute and stood slightly taller, as if steeling herself for something. The next words that came out of her mouth were more forceful than her initial nervous greeting: “There are people trying to kill you!”

A long moment passed as no one spoke. Jane finally raised an eyebrow and turned her head to look at Joker, only to find that he had turned to look at her as well. They shared a bemused expression before turning back to Brooks.

“Uhhh, yeah...” Joker said. “I think she’s aware of that.”

 _Maybe this Brooks doesn’t know who I am after all_ , Jane thought as she took another sip of water.

“Oh, no! I don’t mean Cerberus and the Reapers,” she rushed to clarify. Okay, so Brooks did know who Jane was. “I mean _other_ people. New people!” Brooks began to flail one of her hands about as if grasping for something. “They’re… It’s…” she stammered, then stopped herself, taking in a deep breath and then exhaling. “Someone is hacking your account.”

Jane sat up a little straighter at this. She and Joker had both received dinner invitations they thought had been sent by the other. A hacker would explain the presence of the messages, though not why they had been sent in the first place. Joker must have had a similar thought, as he again glanced at Jane. A quick, silent look of agreement passed between them.

“...comm channels, personal records,” Brooks was saying when Jane returned her attention to the woman. “They’re targeting _you_ specifically.”

“Targeting me? Why? What do they want?” Jane asked, perplexed. 

Jane was no stranger to having, well, strangers, try to kill her. But she couldn’t think of anyone who’d ever had a personal vendetta against her specifically. Alright, there was that time a few years ago when she had been lured into a trap by Elanos Haliat who blamed her for his failed attack against Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz; he had tried (and thankfully failed) to blow her up with a nuclear bomb that she’d had to defuse on her own in under than ten seconds. Then last year, Corporal Toombs, the Akuze survivor she had talked down from murdering a scientist a few years prior, had sent Jane an email basically threatening to kill her after he found out she was working with Cerberus. More recently, the asari criminal Jona Sederis had been pretty pissed at Jane when she’d helped that salarian, Sayn, take over command of the Eclipse, though Jane was pretty sure Sederis was insane and still in prison. Oh, and then there was that batarian captain, Balak, who had wanted revenge against Jane for her role in the destruction of the Bahak System...

Okay, yeah, so maybe Jane could see how it might be possible that she was being specifically targeted.

“The intel isn’t definitive yet,” Brooks explained. “Last time I guessed without definitive intel, we almost landed troops on a gas giant!” Jane just studied Brooks, lips pressing into a stern line. “Which is… bad,” Brooks added when Jane didn’t immediately react to her apparently dramatic confession.

“Yeah... I got that,” Jane said shortly, still deciding whether or not to take this Brooks seriously. Something was definitely off about her, but maybe that was just her personality? Maybe she was one of those brainy types who wasn’t exactly great with people. Jane decided to cut Brooks a little slack; she seemed young and inexperienced and obviously out of her depth.

“Okay, hang on, Brooks. Take a breath,” she said to the young woman. Brooks paused her nervous shifting and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and then letting out the breath with a long, slow exhale. When Brooks opened her eyes, she seemed slightly more composed. “Now, from the top,” Jane instructed, crossing her hands patiently on the table in front of her. “What do you know?”

Brooks was about to reply when a ruckus near the restaurant’s entrance drew Jane’s attention. She glanced up from the young woman just in time to see a soldier in unidentifiable armor slug the restaurant’s snooty French host right in the jaw. The man went down and several other patrons gasped in surprise. Immediately, a small squad of soldiers swarmed into the restaurant. They were in full gear and carried some serious-looking weapons. Assessing them quickly, Jane realized they weren’t soldiers but mercenaries.

The merc who was evidently the leader of the crew strode towards the center of the restaurant and began to speak loudly to the room at large. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight’s performance is brought to you by random acts of violence—” 

As he spoke, the other mercs raised their guns and began firing shots into the restaurant's glass ceiling. Shards of broken glass rained down as patrons began to shriek and dive for cover under their tables.

Before Joker or Brooks could even react, Jane shouted, “Get down!” At the same time that she reached for Joker and pulled him as gently as she could out of his chair, Jane leaned hard on the edge of their table and tipped it onto its side, forming a visual, if not bulletproof, barrier between her and Joker and the mercs. Brooks had heeded Jane’s warning and dived for the ground, hiding herself underneath a nearby table.

“Spread out, boys!” Jane heard the merc leader shout. “Find me Shepard!”

_Shit._


End file.
